Commentary: Reducing violence is a shared job

12:40 PM,
Oct. 5, 2013

Written by

Ben Ament

Though the violent crime rate has been on a steady decline these past several years, there is no denying that we still live in a violent society.

What we don't recognize is our personal responsibility for perpetuating violence. We act after violence occurs, but we need to do more. We need to take violence personally.

Dr. Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist, is leading an organization embracing this approach to stopping violence. Slutkin advances the idea that the problem, at least in part, is that we see violence as a moral issue rather than as a contagion that can be cured. Because we see violence ...